Shape-recovering material, sometimes also called heat-shrinkable material, is widely used in marking and packaging applications. A working definition used herein is that the shape-recovering material is a polymer having materials properties described by a recovered state and an expanded state which contracts toward the recovered state upon heating. The structure and functionality of shape-recovering material are well known in the art for a number of applications, see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,600.
When the shape-recovering material is provided in tubular form, it is typically structured to contract to or toward a specified size in the recovered state. In its initial manufacturing, the shape-recovering material is extruded in a particular shape and size, expanded to the expanded state, and thereafter cooled so that the expanded state is retained. When it is to be applied in service, the expanded and cooled material is placed overlying a body to be enclosed, and then again heated so that it contracts back toward the recovered state, thereby enclosing the body in a polymeric covering.
In some applications, a tube of the shape-recovering material in the expanded state is placed over a wire bundle and thereafter heated to contract it to the recovered state. The enclosed wire bundle is supported from adjacent structure with appropriate clamps or fixtures spaced along its length. This arrangement is often used in aircraft wiring harnesses to hold the multiple wires in an orderly arrangement and facilitate their support from bulkheads and the like.
However, it is sometimes found in service that the intermediate portion of the enclosed wire bundle, positioned between the neighboring clamps or fixtures, flexes, rattles, vibrates, or swings freely, risking damage to the wire bundle or to the adjacent structure. It has been proposed to affix the enclosed wire bundle to the adjacent structure at intermediate locations using a fastener including an adhesive link. However, such a technique is not practical for many situations because it requires that the enclosed wire bundle be held in place until the adhesive cures, either manually by the wiring installer or with clamps that are difficult to apply.
There is a need for an approach for providing such a support that is secure, light in weight, and readily utilized. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.